2008 Nissan Altima Not Starting--brake switch?

This past week it's taken me anywhere from 5-30 minutes to start my car. I have my foot on the brake, push the button, and it does not start. The radio and lights come on, however. I have to keep trying over and over until it starts. I just got a new battery so that's not the problem. I also have a new battery in the key fob. The guy in the service dept at the dealership said it's most likely the brake switch, since it does just what the car would do if your foot wasn't on the brake. Has anyone else ever had this issue?

Comments

I am going through this right now! My wife calls me - of course she is on a road trip 250 miles away to help her. Car won't start. Its a 2008 with 70,000 miles on it. I figure battery and we jump it and it starts. Off to Autozone to check battery. Battery bad. Replaced it. Still won't start! Check new battery - fine. Check alternator - fine. Do some reading on here and it looks like the brake switch. Have my wife do a little test. The brake has to be depressed to allow car to start. So she presses it and someone else checks the brake light. No light. Car won't start either. Have her keep repressing it until light come on. When light comes on, she presses the starter and the car starts! Of course its a Sunday so no dealership to go to until tomorrow. I could probably figure out how to clean the contact on the switch if I was there. Hope it's only the switch and nothing else. At least she can get to the dealership without a tow which is 30 miles away.

Update on brake switch issue. Brought into dealer this afternoon and they confirmed it was the brake switch. According to them its a common problem with the Altimas. $40 for switch and another $40 for installing.

I guess its a matter of perspective. I have another Altima - 1998 with 255K miles that over 12 years had a CV boot go out and a belt pulley. Everything else is original on the car (except tires, brakes, serpentine belt changed once). I guess I have been spoiled!

Im having the same issue! The brake wont depress and the brake lights do not come on at all.I have full battery power and my key fob also has a new battery. The only way for me to move the car now is to get it a tow. Is changing the brake switch easy to do on your own or do I have to get the car in to Nissan? :confuse:

My 2007 altima was having same problem, took it to the dealer and it was $520.00 but they would knock $100.00 off. I was p off, this is a problem very common with these cars and they should have had a recall on them, instead they wait til they go out and have their hot hands out for your money to fix them!! I have called the news station to do investigating on this problem, I think others that have this problem should do the same!!

x2, once in October so I purchased a new battery after having car towed in, and some other piece was fixed. Now again same deal. I paid money to have the Nissa Roadside Assistance come tow my car in again, the two truck drive stated that it is the break switch, he sees it all the time with these types of cars. He pushed really hard on the break pedal a few times, tried again and the car started. No refund of my pre-paid money for the tow truck drive to come out to assist me. Drove it to the dealer, dealer says switch is fine, it is somehting esle, that costs $1065.

I have just starting having this issue and I have noticed that it only does it when i am parked facing down hill. has anyone else noticed this. I have tested it. Thanks to Colorado driveways I have started backing in my driveway so my nose is down and it does it, when i park straight in it does not do it. From what I have read about this issue it should be a recall. I have noticed that if I take it out of gear then put it back in park it will start.

I'm having the same issue with my 08 Altima w/43,000 miles on it. Before reading this thread I have twice before took it to the dealer and they were not able to duplicate the problem because the issue is intermittent. The technician thought maybe it was the computer module that's looks at the brakes system to start the car, a safety feature but wanted $400 to test and replace it. I'm not paying that much and it sucks that this issue isnt covered on the extended warrenty I purchased thur the dealership. I'll give the dealership a call on this brake switch theory.

I had similar problems with a 2008 Altima. Had intermittent issues with it taking multiple attempts to start the car. At 48M miles the battery tested as marginal, but still had the same starting issues with a new replacement battery. At the Nissan dealership was told that the brake switch was questionable. When they removed the brake switch from the circuit it started fine. For the cost of the switch and a couple hours of labor the car starts fine now.

A dealer will quote from $150 (just for investigation) to anywhere around $1000. But in essence, it is a single brake switch (there are two switches on the harness, but we are talking about the one on the left when there's a starting problem).

This can be DIY fixed so easily without much tools (all you need is a light, and hands).

I just fixed it today and the cost of switch was $50. Nissan could have recalled for this a long time ago and now it lost the chance - and the dealers are making good money on it since those 2007 and 2008 models are now out of the warranty. I call it a very unethical business behavior.

Still I like the car itself. The new design of 2013 is very attractive in the look but I am not buying one simply due to this issue and the experience around it.

I had an issue when I was at work about to leave and my car wouldnt start. The lights were working and I heard a click and knew it was not my starter. My father came and looked at the left side fuse box with the alarm fuses and the inhibition fuse. He simply shorted out the inhibition fuse ( thats what tells the car not to start due to various reasons mainly bad switches or sensor) anyway my car started right up. This is only a temporary fix until I can take it to nissan to find out what sensor or switch is bad. But hey look at how much i saved by being able to drive my car around until I had the money to fix it right!!!!!!!!!!lol-=Best reguards- Kim LPN

I took that left break switch out. It's a simple twist 45˚ and disconnect the cable by pushing in the clip. Hold with an old cloth, then sprayed WD 40 contact cleaner into the switch while exercising the button. Never had a single start problem anymore. I should have done this 5 years ago. That's how long we had the intermittent start problem.

Same, 2008 car here, about 65k miles. Have had the problem off and on, the worst being when it would not start for a good hour or so. I called AAA, had a mechanic come, who could not figure out how to start it. He ended up replacing the battery, which didn't solve anything. And lo and behold, the next day, when I was scheduling for towing service, it turned on.
Intermittently, it still does the same thing but would usually start after 5-10 minutes. Unfortunately, on my way to work, it decided not to start after a coffee run. Fast forward 30+ minutes and it finally ignites, but then croaks next time I try.

I just had the same problem push the start button and it only lights up acc lights on dash. I read complaints on this website about issue I also had no brake lights so I removed the left brake switch all you have to do is twist it 45deg and unplug wire harness spray some wd40 in button depress a few times then put back in car everything works fine now brake lights work and car starts fine. Nissan should have a recall on the brake switch instead of trying to screw everyone out of $$$$$$$$